IMPHAL: The troubled state of Manipur in northeastern India has witnessed a horrific outbreak of ethnic violence, resulting in brutal sectarian attacks, with at least 120 people killed since May as Prime Minister Narendra Modi led Indian government remained unmoved to resolve the conflict. Armed clashes between the predominantly Hindu Meitei majority and the minority Christian Kuki community have left behind a trail of destruction, including torching more than 220 churches and 17 Hindu temples.
The ruins of a Kuki community church in Imphal stand as a stark reminder of the violence that has engulfed the region. Over 220 churches and 17 Hindu temples have been destroyed in months of vigilante violence, according to a report by India Today news magazine.
The violence has caused a significant impact on the religious communities, with many Kuki parishioners fleeing to different places to escape the brutality. Baptist priest Zuan Kamang Damai led a service at a burnt church in Imphal with a congregation that was just a third of its usual size of about 800. Many of his regular worshippers have stayed away, living in fear of possible violence.
Causes of Manipur Conflict
The root cause of the conflict is a complex mix of land, rights, and power. The Kuki community opposes the Meitei demands for reserved public job quotas and college admissions, fearing that they might lose out on land in areas currently reserved for tribal groups.
India’s Interior Minister Amit Shah has promised a thorough investigation into the violence and has expressed support for the people of Manipur. However, the Human Rights Watch group has raised concerns over politically motivated divisive policies promoting Hindu majoritarianism.
While religious divisions are adding to the trouble, not all religious communities have been targeted. Churches used by the Kuki community have been attacked, but those belonging to the Naga people have been spared. Some argue that the conflict goes beyond land rights and government jobs, pointing to the targeted attacks on churches belonging to the Meitei community, which indicates a religious angle to the violence.
